Page 17 of Saviour

He smiles and nods, letting me know he’ll drop me off before heading back. Wherever ‘back’ is.

What he doesn’t know is I’ve decided to tell Sophie it’s not going to work out but that I’m really grateful for everything the past couple days. She didn’t need to let me volunteer, or offer me a job, especially after I caused her to have a dead body outside her club. But I need to leave.

This threat hanging over my head is a little too close to home and the way Dax is making me feel is just completely unacceptable to me.

After dressing, I eat some toast with a thick layer of marmite—hey, you either love it or you hate it—and Dax drives me to Sophie’s.

Muttering a thanks, I slide myself out of the passenger side door when he grabs my wrist softly.

“I’ll pick you up tonight, okay? And then we’ll figure it out. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

I hesitate for too long and the look Dax gives me is gutting, but I think he realises that I may not be here when he comes back. To my surprise, he drives off and I look at the back of his car until it disappears out of sight.

I sigh and shake myself out of it, grateful to have met someone to remember once I move on again. I walk into SSC, head over to the bar, and take a seat, waiting for Sophie to show herself so I can let her down.

Contemplating reaching behind the bar for a quick drink, I’m startled by a cold voice coming from my back and my whole body tenses up. The same cold and threatening voice that haunted me down the phone is no more than three feet away and I think I’m done for.

“Aurora Shaw, I’d say it’s a pleasure meeting you, but I distinctly remember telling you to leave.”

I turn to face who the voice belongs to and come face-to-face with pure fucking evil. And I know this because I’ve seen the glint in his eyes many times before elsewhere.

He’s taller than me but has nothing on Dax, and his head and body are round and huge, the kind of man you’d expect to see sat in front of the TV with multiple beers. Except this man is dressed to the nines, in a pristine suit and shiny shoes. He might as well be wearing clothes made from money. It's obvious that he’s clearly a very rich and very important man.

He’s silent, an eyebrow slightly raised, and I realise he’s waiting for me to talk. I clear my throat and rub my sweaty palms on my legs to try and calm myself down.

“Umm, I’m just leaving actually. I-I need to—”

I have no idea why I cower and feel the need to apologise, but then I remember he knows what I’m running from. Or rather,who.

“It doesn’t matter why you’re here, Miss Shaw. Though I do have a proposition for you.”

I try to make myself as small as possible, pushing against the bar top and looking at the ground. Nothing good can come from a proposition, especially one from a man like this.

“I need you to stay in town. I need you to keep Dax busy and distracted.”

“I-I—”

“Don’t play dumb, girl. Whatever you’ve been doing the past couple days, keep it up. Distract him.”

My brain is running a hundred miles a minute as I try to comprehend what is happening.

“Why?” I squeak out, realising that this man probably doesn’t get questioned on the things he asks of people.

“Because I’ve asked you to, little girl.”

I stiffen at the venom in his voice and scatter my eyes around the club, only to see nobody but bigger men who I assume are all with him.

“Who are you?” I question, losing all rational thought but carrying on anyway.

He smirks. It’s pure evil and deranged, and I instantly regret finding my courage to talk back.

“You’ll soon learn who I am. You stay and distract Dax. You can move in. It’s already been arranged and you will continue doing whatever the fuck it is you’re doing. You keep him busy and focused onyou. If you don’t, I know exactly who you’re running from and why, and I won’t hesitate in letting them know I’ve found you. Do you understand me?”

I take a deep breath and realise there is nothing I can say. He’s got me. He knows he has.

He goes to take a step back, but my voice stops him in his tracks. “Distract him from what?”

He assesses me for way too long and I feel uncomfortable under his gaze.

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